Blade mechanism for a plant material trimming device

ABSTRACT

A removable blade mechanism for a plant material trimming device. The blade mechanism includes a blade bar connectable to the plant material trimming device and a tool-less adjustable locking device connectable to the blade bar and to the plant material trimming device to lock the blade bar to the plant material trimming device.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

This patent document contains material which is subject to copyrightprotection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimilereproduction by anyone of this patent document as it appears in thePatent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwisereserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to the field of plant trimming devices, and inparticular, to a blade mechanism for a plant material trimming device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Plant trimming devices have been in operation for some time. Generally,these devices incorporate a fixed blade mechanism for trimming awayplant material rotated in an adjacent tumbler. Typically, these blademechanisms include a blade bar which may be a unitary blade or mayinclude a bed bar that holds a blade. As conventional blade mechanismsare fixed to plant trimming devices, cleaning plant trimming devices islabor intensive with a user having to contort oneself in order to get inbetween the tumbler and the blade mechanism. In other instances, inorder to clean and maintain the blade, the entire plant trimming devicehas to be dismantled with appropriate tools in order to remove the blademechanism from the device. Finally, with conventional blade mechanisms,fine tuning its contact with the tumbler requires appropriate tools,making it time consuming to use. Accordingly, a need exists for a blademechanism that can be easily removed and adjusted without the need fortools. Other objects of the invention will be apparent from thedescription that follows.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention there is provided a removable blademechanism for a plant material trimming device. The blade mechanismincludes a blade bar connectable to the plant material trimming deviceand a tool-less adjustable locking device connectable to the blade barand to the plant material trimming device to lock the blade bar to theplant material trimming device.

The blade bar may be a single blade or may include a bed bar and a bladeconnectable to the bed bar.

The blade bar may be slidably and/or pivotably connectable to the planttrimming device. When pivotably connected, the tool-less adjustablelocking device is operational to lock and adjust the angle of the bladebar relative to the plant trimming device.

The tool-less adjustable locking device may simply be a clamp, bungeecord or other like device. In the preferred embodiment, the lockingdevice includes a first arm connectable to the blade bar and a secondarm connectable to the first arm. A tightening block is connectable (maybe threadedly) to the second arm and is also connectable to the planttrimming device to lock the blade bar in place. The first arm may bepivotably connectable to the blade bar. Additionally, the second arm mayalso be pivotably connectable to the first arm.

Other aspects of the invention will be appreciated by reference to thedetailed description of the preferred embodiment and to the claims thatfollow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The preferred embodiment of the invention will be described by referenceto the drawings thereof in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plant material trimming device;

FIG. 2 is a partial internal perspective view of the plant materialtrimming device of FIG. 1.;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view a blade mechanism for the plant materialtrimming device of FIG. 1.;

FIG. 4 is perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a blade barof FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a blade used in conjunction with theblade bar of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is an isolation perspective view of the area 6 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a plant material trimming device 10 is depicted.The device 10 includes a tumbler 12 residing inside of the device. Plantmaterial that requires trimming is inserted into a hopper 14 which thenfeeds the plant material into the tumbler 12. A removable blademechanism 16 is situated inside of the device 10 and adjacent thetumbler 12. As the plant material is tumbled in the tumbler 12, theblade mechanism 16 cuts the plant material in a scissor-like fashion asthe plant material is exposed between the blade mechanism and tumblerwalls.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 the blade mechanism 16 includes a blade bar18 connectable to a wall 11 of the plant material trimming device 10 anda tool-less adjustable locking device 20 connectable to the blade bar ateither ends of the blade bar. The tool-less adjustable locking device 20is also connectable to the wall 11 of the plant material trimming device10 to lock the blade bar 18 to the plant material trimming device. Theblade bar 18 may be a single unitary blade or may, as illustrated inFIGS. 4 and 5, include a bed bar 22 with a longitudinally slit 23 forreceiving a separate blade 24 connectable to the bed bar throughconventional means.

Referring back to FIGS. 2 and 3, the blade bar 18 may either be slidablyand/or pivotably connectable to the plant trimming device 10. As bestillustrated in FIG. 3, corresponding pivot holes 25 on either side ofthe blade bar 18 are operable to receive a pin from the plant trimmingdevice 10. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, a slotted holemay be used instead of a standard hole to allow the bed bar 18 toslidably and pivotably connect to the plant trimming device 10. Whenpivotably connected, the tool-less adjustable locking device 20 isoperational to lock and adjust the angle of the blade bar 18 relative tothe plant trimming device 10.

The tool-less adjustable locking device 20 may simply be a clamp, bungeecord or other like device that is operable to connect to the planttrimming device 10. In the preferred embodiment as illustrated in FIGS.2, 3 and 6, the locking device includes a first arm 26 connectable tothe blade bar 18 and a second arm 28 connectable to the first arm. Atightening block 30 is connectable to the second arm 28 and is alsoconnectable to the wall 11 of the plant trimming device 10 to lock theblade bar 18 in place. The first arm 26 may be pivotably connectable tothe blade bar 18. Additionally, the second arm 28 may also be pivotablyconnectable to the first arm 26. To lock the bed bar 18 to the device10, the tool-less adjustable locking device 20 may include a lockinghandle 32. The locking handle 32 may be threadedly connectable to thetightening block 30 through a hole in wall 11. As those skilled in theart will appreciate, tightening block may be configured to lock to wall11 without handle 32 through other conventional devices. To facilitatealignment of the blade bar 18 inside of the device 10, wall 11 mayinclude a locating pin 33 for which slot 34 of the tightening block 30may engage. Once the blade bar 18 is inserted into the device 10, thesecond arm 28 is moved to engage the locating pin 33 and handle 32 isused to tighten the tightening block 30 to the wall 11. If it isdesirable to adjust the angle of the blade bar 18 relative to thetumbler 12, the second arm 28 may be threadedly connected to thetightening block 30. Here, dial 36 may be used to lengthen or shortenthe second arm 28 and thus pitch the blade bar 18 within the device 10.

It will thus be seen that a new and novel blade mechanism for a plantmaterial trimming device has been illustrated and described and it willbe apparent to those skilled in the art that the preferred andalternative embodiments have been described in some detail but thatcertain modifications may be practiced without departing from theprinciples of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A removable blade mechanism for a plant materialtrimming device comprising: a blade bar connectable to the plantmaterial trimming device; and tool-less adjustable locking meansconnectable to said blade bar and plant material trimming device to locksaid blade bar to the plant material trimming device.
 2. The blademechanism of claim 1 wherein said blade bar comprises a blade.
 3. Theblade mechanism of claim 1 wherein said blade bar comprises a bed barand a blade connectable to said bed bar.
 4. The blade mechanism of claim1 wherein said blade bar is slidably connectable to the plant trimmingdevice.
 5. The blade mechanism of claim 1 wherein said blade bar ispivotably connectable to the plant trimming device.
 6. The blademechanism of claim 5 wherein said tool-less adjustable locking meanslocks and adjusts an angle of said blade bar relative to the planttrimming device.
 7. The blade mechanism of claim 1 wherein saidtool-less adjustable locking means comprises: a first arm connectable tosaid blade bar; a second arm connectable to said first arm; and atightening block connectable to said second arm and connectable to saidplant trimming device.
 8. The blade mechanism of claim 7 wherein saidfirst arm is pivotably connectable to said blade bar.
 9. The blademechanism of claim 7 wherein said second arm is pivotably connectable tosaid first arm.
 10. The blade mechanism of claim 7 wherein saidtightening block is threadedly connectable to said second arm.
 11. Theblade mechanism of claim 1 wherein said tool-less adjustable lockingmeans comprises a clamp.
 12. The blade mechanism of claim 1 wherein saidtool-less adjustable locking means comprises a bungee cord.